


THANKSGIVING SPECIAL | You Are Precious

by Christarmewn



Series: Jirachi's Twin | BONUS STORIES (btyu & others ♥) [8]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Awkward Tension, Being Lost, Concern, Crying, F/M, Fighting, Flirting, Fluff, Hugging, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Mention of alcohol, Near Death Experiences, Opening Up, Rescue, Teasing, Thanksgiving, Unintetional flirting, Vomiting, accidental pining, heights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28603437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Christarmewn/pseuds/Christarmewn
Summary: Bede is just casually taking down Halloween decorations when Gloria stops by to say hello. She announces her family is about to celebrate Thanksgiving—a holiday Bede knows little about, and thus she declares she's going to go around Galar delivering thankyou letters to each of the gym leaders. Bede advises her to hurry so she doesn't miss a meeting later that evening, but after leaving to deliver Hop's letter, she doesn't return. This worries Bede, so he decides to go looking for her.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Yuuri | Gloria, Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Jirachi's Twin | BONUS STORIES (btyu & others ♥) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095947
Kudos: 8





	THANKSGIVING SPECIAL | You Are Precious

**Author's Note:**

> For those who aren't familiar with Thanksgiving, I explain. :)

Jirachi's Twin Timeline: (Present → Past)

  * **Jirachi's Twin Main Story**
  * Thanksgiving SP | You Are Precious _(you are here)_



*Bold is a crucial chapter, italics is current location

* * *

“Well that’s that…” Bede sighed, wiping sweat off of his forehead.

It had taken him several hours, but somehow he’d managed to undecorate the gym lobby all by himself. Halloween had ended weeks ago, but the majority of his staff consisted of older women—meaning _he_ was the one responsible for taking down the high-hanging array of orange streamers and fake cobwebs. It was a chore, but leaving the ornaments hanging around would look tacky otherwise.

“Woah!”

Bede blinked, hearing the cry of awe from far below him at the foot of his ladder.

“You’re really high up there, aren’tcha Bede?”

He turned his attention to the voice below and nearly slipped off the top rung.

_What is she doing here!?_

For whatever reason, the champion of Galar, Gloria, was gawking up at him from the floor of the gym lobby. It wasn’t often for her to drop by without warning—she was almost always the type to ask him beforehand if he was available, but for whatever reason, here she was.

“Gloria! Uh—what a surprise!” he coughed singularly into his fist—a habit she’d pointed out to him as a distinct tell when he was nervous. He’d been meaning to quit, “What brings you here? Aren’t you aware of the meeting this afternoon in Wyndon? I assumed you would be there by now…”

Gloria shrugged, well aware of the meeting, “I know. Just thought I’d pop by beforehand.”

_That doesn’t give me any information._

“So… what’re you doing?”

He carefully began descending down the ladder as he answered her question, “I’ve been undecorating the lobby. Halloween ended ages ago—I figured it was about time to take everything down,” he glanced around once, and lowered his voice, “The ladies that work here are too old to undecorate this blasted place. Half of them I reckon are five minutes from turning to dust, if I’m being honest.”

Gloria chuckled, shaking her head, “Wooow, how kind of you. And here I thought you were being chivalrous.”

He rolled his eyes and began disassembling the ladder.

“You know…” she began again, staring at a box nearby that he’d filled with orange streamers and origami pumpkins, “You could’ve left some of them up if you wanted. It’s still fall, after all.”

“Right,” he grunted, “But it’s also nearly winter. Figured I’d get a head start.”

She blinked curiously at him for a moment, “But Bede—they’d make for perfect Thanksgiving decorations. Now you’ll have to redecorate for the holiday all over again.”

He rose an eyebrow at her.

“Thanks-what?”

The two stared blankly at one another for a moment, before Gloria’s eyes finally widened with realization.

“Oh that’s right! You guys don’t celebrate that here,” she laughed embarrassedly, “Dang—now everyone’ll think I took this week off for no reason…”

“Oh,” Bede realized there was a cultural barrier blocking his understanding, and bent down to pick up the box of decorations, “So that holiday you mentioned—I reckon it’s something you did in Unova. That’s where you moved from, correct?”

“Not _exactly,_ ” Gloria shrugged, “I was born there, but I mostly lived in Alola. Either way though, our family celebrated Thanksgiving. I’m going home to my Mom’s place so I can feast with her on Thursday.”

“What is the holiday for, exactly?” he asked, starting to exit the lobby and proceed down a hallway.

“Well, I believe the holiday is about a harvest festival early settlers hosted when arriving in Unova, but the holiday itself has been prettied up over the years. Basically, it’s an excuse to take a week off and dine like kings with your family,” she grinned, “There’s Turkey, and cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for dessert! Not to mention I’m old enough now to try the fancy wine Mom always gets.”

Bede huffed, a sarcastic smile on his face as he opened a lone door in the hallway labeled: STORAGE, “Sounds like Unova making yet another excuse to party. Those ruffians just can’t get enough of their alcohol and fireworks, if you ask me…”

“Well it’s not just about partying, Bede…”

“That’s all you’ve told me so far.”

Bede tilted his head towards a switch on the wall, and Gloria flipped it on since Bede’s hands were full. Dim lights strung overhead revealed a long set of stairs leading to the basement, and the two slowly began their descent.

“Aside from the food,” Gloria went on, “The purpose of the holiday is to be grateful for things. It’s a bit romantic, honestly—being grateful for your belongings and your life experiences, and most especially, the people who’ve helped you along the way. I want to dedicate each day towards some sort of gratitude. I’ll write letters to my long-distance friends, and thank all the gym leaders in Galar for being such wonderful and supportive people to me.”

Bede glanced over his shoulder, noticing a glazed look of joy flooding the rosy cheeks of her face. He smirked.

“Sounds too sappy if you ask me.”

Instantly annoyed, Gloria nudged him in the arm, “Says _you,_ mister grinch.”

“That’s a completely different holiday.”

“Oh shut-up.”

When they were finally in the basement, Bede placed the box in a corner with the rest of the Halloween decorations, and turned back to face Gloria.

“We’ve still got to grab the ladder.”

“Oh—I could’ve grabbed it for you! You should’ve said—”

“It’s fine,” he rose a hand to silence her, unwilling to admit that he was just being nice by not forcing her to help him, “I’ll grab it myself. It’s really heavy anyway—I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

He turned to exit, but Gloria was still staring at the box of decorations. Naturally, he took the opportunity to glance at her, and instantly took notice of her delicate hands. They were folded behind her back as she quietly observed the corner of the room. Often she did this when she was in deep thought.

 _I’m glad I didn’t make her carry anything,_ he decided, unwilling to ruin her delicate fingers.

“What’s the holdup?” he finally asked, shaking himself from his daydream.

She turned to face him with a pensive smile on her face, and he almost jumped. It was a gorgeous smile she had—faint, but genuine and meaningful. Every now-and-then she’d surprise him with that serene grin—her eyes slightly squinted, and her cheeks taut with a warm happiness.

He also somewhat hated that face because it always made him lose his composure. Bede had nearly stumbled and flushed at the sight of her pretty smile, but somehow he’d managed to stifle it this time.

“I came here for a reason,” she said suddenly, her voice smooth and soft like a calm river, “You see… I was hoping to go from gym to gym and start thanking everyone for the things they’ve done for me, and since I’m here already, I thought I’d go ahead and start with you.”

His throat squeezed unintentionally, muting his voice. Instantly, he regretted sounding so apathetic when she’d raved on about Thanksgiving. She probably had one less thing to thank him for; and knowing his countless number of blemishes, he reckoned on her list of thanks, she wouldn’t get past two.

He cleared his throat uneasily, “V-very well… go ahead then. Not sure how much you’ll think of to say, but—”

“Thank you,” she interrupted, her sweet eyes snatching his attention like magnets, “for being my friend.”

He swallowed.

“Thank you for spending time with me, listening to me ramble and vent all the time—and thanks for hanging out with me on Friday nights. Even if we always end up carrying Marnie home…” she grinned, and stepped closer to Bede so they were only a few feet away from each other, “Thank you for changing. I know we didn’t always get along, but I’m glad we do now. Of all the people in the world I could’ve met and become friends with, what are the chances that I was able to meet you? If you think about it, they’re quite slim, but yet here we are. I think about that a lot…”

Her eyes fluttered, landing momentarily on the concrete floor before finally returning to Bede’s face again.

“And Bede,” she whispered, smiling brighter than before, “Thanks for putting up with me. I know neither of us are good at saying it, but you’re really important to me. I care a lot about you, and I can tell you feel the same way.”

Bede’s heartrate exploded upon hearing her words.

_What is this? Is this a confession…?_

“I’m so grateful to have you as my friend. I mean that.”

There was a brief pause, and he realized she was finished speaking. Then he cleared his throat, coughed, and finally managed a shaky but genuine: “T-thanks… that was really nice.”

She laughed awkwardly, clearly embarrassed, “You’re welcome! It feels so odd to ramble on like that, but I’m glad I did. I’ve been meaning to say those things for a while now. It’s been what—a year since I became champion? We’ve known each other for a while now, that’s for sure.”

“We really have…” Bede nodded, unable to look her in the eye.

_And tomorrow marks the two month mark for me liking you._

He swallowed those words and managed to move away from her towards the basement stairs.

“A-anyway, I need to go grab the ladder now, so let’s leave. It’s hot in here, anyways.”

“Really? I thought it was freezing… and I have long sleeves on.”

 _It’s probably just me then, but of course I wouldn’t tell you that,_ he thought cynically, only managing a grunt in response to her comment.

* * *

Several hours had passed since Gloria’s visit. The sun was already starting to hang low in the sky, and it was only ten minutes until the gym leaders’ meeting was to begin. He glanced worriedly at his phone, Kabu and Melony passing him as they entered the Battle Tower.

“Waiting for someone?” Kabu called back, causing Bede to look up.

“Yeah…” he sighed, putting his phone back into his pocket, “Gloria isn’t here yet. It’s starting to worry me—she’s always early to these sort of things. It’s odd she’s not here…”

“Perhaps you missed her and she’s already inside,” Melony shrugged, “That girl has a knack for sneaking through crowds undetected.”

“Perhaps…” Bede turned to enter the building, glancing one last time up at the sky.

_I wonder where she’s gone off to._

The meeting came and went, but there was no sign of Gloria. Though the meeting technically didn’t require her presence, since it was only to discuss the theme of this year’s festival, it was still concerning that she hadn’t shown up. The meeting was, after all, her idea to begin with.

While everyone was still gathered in the room, Bede decided to ask around to see if anyone else had seen her or caught word of where she’d went.

“Marnie,” Bede half-shouted, catching her before she could leave the meeting room.

“What is it, fairy boy?”

He glared at her and resumed, “Have you seen Gloria today? I couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t at the meeting…”

“Oh, Gloria? Yeah—weird she didn’t show up. She stopped earlier today at Spikemuth though, if it means anythin’. Came to thank Piers and I for all this stuff. It was really sweet, but kinda out of nowhere, if I’m bein’ honest.”

 _So she really_ did _go around to thank all the gym leaders… is that why she wasn’t at the meeting?_ he considered it, but shook his head, _No… if the gym leaders were able to make it, there’s no reason she couldn’t have gotten here on time. This whole thing’s still a mystery._

Still concerned about Gloria, Bede decided to ask all of the other gym leaders as well. Apparently they’d all encountered her and received a thorough thanking, just like Bede had received, but none of them knew where she’d gone when she’d finished thanking everyone. Even Leon was clueless.

Bede sighed bitterly, and approached Kabu—the last person whom he had yet to question.

“Kabu,” he probed, tired of asking the same thing over and over, “Have you by chance, seen Gloria today?”

Kabu mulled about his question for a moment, “Yes, I did see her. She stopped by a few hours ago to thank me for some reason. It was quite a surprise—I had no idea I was so important to her.”

“Neither did I…” Bede mumbled honestly, “Is that the only time you saw her?”

“Hmm… well…” Kabu rubbed the back of his neck in deep thought, “After she thanked me, she ran off to Turffield to speak with Milo, I think. I saw her later though, just coming out of the Galar Mines. She waved to me and said she was going all the way to Wedgehurst.”

Bede’s eyes widened.

 _Wedgehurst? That tiny farm settlement clean on the other side of the region!? If she went all the way there, no_ wonder _she couldn’t make it back to Wyndon in time!_

“Ah… that explains it then,” Bede rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb, annoyed that she’d intentionally ditched the meeting, “She’s probably on her way still…”

“I wouldn’t say so…” Kabu disagreed, “She left for Wedgehurst around one o’clock this afternoon. It’s nearly five—I’d say she should’ve been back right about now, if she left by train.”

The dread that left Bede, came back in an instant when he’d heard Kabu’s response.

“Perhaps she stopped at her mum’s place…?” but for some reason he didn’t trust his own hypothesis, “Ugh… it’s worrying me too much. I’m just going to go to Wedgehurst myself and see what’s happened. She’s not picking up her phone—it’s starting to worry me…”

“You do you then,” Kabu shrugged nonchalantly, “She’s your girl, after all.”

Bede jolted at the remark, “My what!? No, no, no, she’s not—” but Kabu had already left the building and turned out of earshot.

 _Brilliant,_ he rolled his eyes, _I worried I was acting too clingy… now everyone’s suspicious. Or at least Kabu is…_

* * *

The ground beneath was a dull shade of tan. Bede was high up in the sky, flying in the backseat of a Corviknight taxi. Though it normally wasn’t as fast as a train, he knew it would be quicker taking a direct flight to Wedgehurst, because of all the waiting periods he’d be forced to sit through until the right trains showed up. Far below him, he watched as the taxi passed over Axew’s Eye, and began to float over the dense deciduous forests of Dappled Grove.

“Oi, gym leader Bede. Mind a word?”

Bede sat up, taking his eyes away from the scenery so he could speak into the walkie-talkie at the coach driver.

“What’s wrong, sir?”

“So—we’ve still got an hour of flying, thanks to this nasty crosswind. Normally I’d charge through it, but my Corviknight is near the end of its work shift…”

“Meaning…?”

“It’s exhausted, sir. We need to take a short break… I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but if we do, we’ll be able to fly faster—”

“That’s fine with me. No need to make excuses. Safety always comes first,” though he added the last part somewhat begrudgingly.

“Ah, well then. Thank you for your patience sir—we’ll land in three minutes-ish, and take a twenty minute break. That should be enough to revitalize my Corviknight.”

As forewarned, the Corviknight taxi drifted down into the Dappled Grove a few minutes after he’d made the announcement. When they’d finally landed, Bede decided to stretch his legs for a few minutes. Huge cliffsides towered around the left and right sides of the valley, and the grove was cluttered with massive maple trees. It was an impressive sight to behold.

“I’m going to look around for a bit,” he announced, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Just off to the side was a somewhat worn trail that weaved through the trees and the mountainsides. Enjoying the scene, he lost himself in the beauty of the trees, and enjoyed the fresh mountain air as he scaled the steep hillside. When he’d reached the top, he sat down and pulled a granola bar out of his backpack. Luckily he’d thought to stick some inside before coming, and it was a good thing he did because he certainly wasn’t expecting the taxi to take a break in the middle of nowhere.

His eyes scanned the tops of the trees lazily, following the spiraling patterns of the vines until his eyes landed on a distant grove. To the south, he saw two massive trees growing out of the valley’s sides, nearly touching symmetrically at the top. Vines seemed to be weaving the branches of the two trees together, as if nature had sewn them.

Then, as he squinted high up at the tips of the trees, his eyes fell across something vibrant. He almost mistook it for a beautiful flower, but realized quickly that there were no other flowers in the trees.

 _I suppose there’s just a Pokémon up there…_ he excused, but for some reason his legs had picked him up, and begun taking him towards the mysterious grove.

_Surely it’s just… a Pokémon._

But as he got closer, it became clearer to him that it was not a Pokémon, but a person. Long, brown hair was billowing around her shoulders, and he could tell the girl was wearing a pink dress.

He knew no one else who had this fashion sense.

“GLORIA!”

Her head turned slowly to the sound of his voice, and found him standing in the branches of the left tree. Gloria herself, was sitting far away, near where the two trees came together in the center—meaning the branches were only about the thickness of a Bounsweet. It was a precarious place to be sitting, and Bede personally found it not worth the view to be in a place so openly dangerous as that.

“Bede?” she finally asked, incredulous at his sudden appearance.

He sighed frustratedly, “Why is it that I always run into you in the strangest places—what are you doing up there!?”

“Well… I…” she didn’t look at him.

Bede sighed, “I’ve called your phone at least ten times, and you haven’t even _looked_ at it! Why were you out here, and not in Wyndon with the rest of us!?”

She looked down somberly at her shoes, and he shook his head.

“I’m going to escort you down. This isn’t safe in the slightest—” just as he’d said those words, he lifted his leg to ascend the branches, but his remaining foot slipped on the branch below him.

He yelled initially in pain, as his ankle twisted, but instantly it changed to terror as he clasped a branch last minute. Suddenly he was dangling far above the ground with nothing but his upper body strength to support him.

“BEDE!” Gloria yelled, shocked he’d even attempted to approach her.

His face went pale when he saw the distance. Bede didn’t want to admit it to anyone, but he knew for himself that he was deathly afraid of heights. Seeing the vast distance caused his already-weak forearms to begin shaking violently with terror, and he could feel his palms growing sweatier by the second.

He tore his eyes from the ground and searched for Gloria—his only lifeline. She had a panicked look on her face, yet somehow she was able to fearlessly stand up on the thin branch.

“Gloria—” he gasped, his heartrate lodging itself in the crook of his neck, “H-help—”

His fingers, already raw from the bark of the tree, were slipping, and she was nowhere near close to him.

_I’m going to die!_

Just as his fingers slipped from the branch, Gloria dove from her spot, and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. It was unexpected— _bold_ of her, to just throw herself against him the way she did.

He was almost relieved.

Almost.

They were still falling.

 _What was the point of THAT!?_ he screeched internally.

Just as he’d thought it however, they suddenly stopped falling. Bede had shut his eyes in terror of dying, so he had no idea why the world had suddenly stopped plunging to the ground. When he opened them, he saw Gloria’s psychic Pokémon Orbeetle hovering next to them with its arm extended outwards.

They were being suspended in the air with Psychic.

_Thank Arceus…_

A shaky breath left his lips as Orbeetle carefully placed them down onto the ground. When they were both down, they both took a moment to catch their breath.

“Well that was exciting…” Gloria gasped sarcastically.

“That’s _one_ way to put it…” he managed back.

Then he noticed. Her breath was close—tickling his ear with each exhale, and there was something soft pressing against him. He hadn’t noticed it in the moment of adrenaline, but now that they were safe, it suddenly occurred to him that she was lying across his abdomen with her arms still tight around his back.

The realization caused him to stiffen, and his heartrate shot up again—this time with embarrassment.

“G-g-get off already…” he sputtered, but his demand came out weaker than he’d intended.

“Ah—sorry.”

She withdrew her arms from his back and instantly crawled off of his chest. When she was finally off, Bede was able to finally sit up and breathe properly. Unfortunately, this also meant that his stomach had caught up to him too, and he felt it instantly.

The shock of falling from somewhere so high finally hit him, and he placed a shaky hand over his mouth to stifle a gag. Gloria reeled away instantly, diverting her gaze as the granola bar which he’d just barely eaten was regurgitated onto the ground in front of him.

It was… horribly awkward.

All around were the beautiful sounds of birds, and the sweet whistling of the wind in the tree leaves, but then there on the ground was the added pleasure of Bede retching.

_Joy._

Finally exhausted of food, he slumped away from his disgrace, and covered his face with his clean right hand.

“I-I’m sorry…” he mumbled, mortified, “I never mentioned it to anyone, b-but… I’m afraid of heights…”

The disturbed look on her face melted away somewhat, replaced instead with her honest sympathy.

“Oh… I’m so sorry—if I’d known, I would’ve—”

“It’s fine…” he sighed, still refusing to uncover his eyes, “I was an idiot for climbing up there in the first place. Heaven knows I’m a horrible climber…”

“I-I noticed…”

On a normal day they would’ve laughed this off, but neither of them were in the mood for it. Instead, they sat for a few more minutes in silence as they tried to re-gain their composure.

“Here,” Gloria pulled out a package of wet wipes and offered it to him, “Um… for your—”

“Thanks,” he interrupted, snatching them away before she could unintentionally humiliate him further.

She looked down at her shoes quietly for a moment.

“Why?” she eventually managed.

When Bede was finished cleaning his left hand, he asked what she meant.

“Why what?”

“Why are you here? This isn’t a place many go…”

His mind ran back through his endeavors, how he’d tried to find Gloria in Wedgehurst but gotten stuck in the Dappled Grove, and how he’d wandered off by himself, now far away from the taxi.

“Ah… well… it’s a bit of a long story.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah… see…” he rubbed his neck, now embarrassed that he was admitting to searching for Gloria when she’d gone missing, “I noticed you weren’t at the Wyndon meeting—even though it was _your_ idea, and I heard from Kabu you went to Wedgehurst. It was taking you so long to get back I thought I’d go look for you, but then we got stranded out here for a bit. The Corviknight needed a break or something, so I thought I’d go on a walk, and well…

“Here I am.”

“Ah… what a coincidence,” she rubbed her palms together awkwardly.

“So then, can I ask?” he pried, holding out the wet wipes for her to take back.

“Ask me what?”

“What are you doing out here? And why didn’t you come back from Wedgehurst?”

She took the wipes quietly, and remained silent as she returned them to her bag. When she’d put them away, her gaze fell down to her crossed legs in a guilty silence.

“I’ll be honest…” she paused, “I went to talk to Hop.”

Bede pursed his lips, well aware of the pain that boy had given her. They used to be close friends, but ever since Gloria became champion, the two acted as if there was glass separating their different worlds. Hop often ignored her phone calls, and tended to act aloof whenever she was around. At some point he’d developed a grudge for her that Gloria didn’t understand, and thus she was forced to rely on Bede for consolation.

Not that he minded.

“You wanted to give him your thank you speech, I presume?”

She smiled a tiny bit, “I did. I have so many things I want to tell him, but…” she shook her head, “He doesn’t let me talk anymore.”

Bede’s face fell as he listened to her continue.

“I went up to his lab, and you know—I’ve given him this speech before, so I just thought I’d do it again. There were so many things I wanted to say, but when he saw me, he cut me off and told me:

‘I’m going to stop you there, Gloria. I’ll be honest, you’re the last person I want to hear this from right now. I get what you want to say, but I just can’t accept those words if they’re coming from you. Just let me down already… it’s not like you haven’t done it before.’

And then he shut the door i-in my face—” she sniffed, and Bede instantly looked up.

“What? Why on earth would he do that?” he wondered, furious and upset at the same time, “He calls himself your friend, but then he goes and shuts you out—”

“It’s okay!” Gloria threw her arms up, suddenly silencing him, “P-please—don’t get mad at him… I don’t think he was having a good day. And sometimes wounds take longer to heal for people…”

“But why?”

She looked up at him curiously.

“Why is he like this all of a sudden? He’s acting like such a child… ghosting you and shutting you out when you need him…”

“I don’t know if there was a specific day when it started happening…” Gloria sighed, shaking her head, “I just noticed he was increasingly depressed over time. He was really liking his research and whatnot, and at first he was excited to tell me all about it. He kept texting me and asking when we could hang out together, but I couldn’t keep up with him. I just got so busy, and… I guess I started prioritizing my work over him. Isn’t it karma now that he does the same…?”

Bede sighed in frustration at her confession, “So you started passing up all of his requests?”

“I was just so busy—I couldn’t keep up…”

“No wonder he’s upset…” he shook his head, “And to make matters worse, what’s kept you from him is the very job _he_ obsessed over nearly his whole life.”

Her face went pale at the realization of his words.

“That’s true…”

He could see her eyes were barely able to hold back tears. With a huff, he extended a hand towards her.

“Don’t go blaming yourself for this…” he soothed, “After all, he’s the one who decided to start ignoring you. You might’ve been unable to keep up with him, but at least you didn’t tell him to bugger off like he did today.”

“He didn’t say that,” she argued, glancing at his hand, “What’re you holding your hand out for?”

“I figured you’d take it to relax yourself a bit. You’ve done that before.”

The excuse was legitimate, but he was mostly just hoping she’d take it so he could enjoy the warmth of her hand for just a few moments.

“But you puked all over that hand…”

He blinked, and instantly withdrew it, “C-crap! I forgot—sorry that was nearly disgusting, wasn’t it? Ugh… I’m still so mortified I did that in front of you—”

She smiled a tiny bit and stole his right hand instead, “It’s fine. Besides… sometimes I enjoy seeing the weaker sides of you. It makes you seem more… human.”

He blinked surprisedly at her, “Do I not seem that way to you…?”

She grinned, “Well, you’re always acting so proper and perfect, sometimes I forget you can make mistakes too.”

“Huh. I suppose I need to make more then.”

She laughed and squeezed his hand as the tears hiding behind her eyes finally rolled down her cheeks. When they finally did, Bede was able to relax, and smile with her as she split her burden onto his shoulders.

“By the way… why did you grab me like that while I was falling?”

She sat up, surprised at his statement.

“Well—I was trying to save you of course…”

“But you have Orbeetle for that.”

“And I used him, didn’t I?” she snapped.

Shocked she’d snapped at him, he glanced at her face and noticed her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

_What’s she blushing about?_

“I suppose you did… it’s just odd that you’d jump to grab me if you have a psychic Pokémon…”

“I-I did that to make the psychic connection stronger,” she excused again, “Now stop asking me! It’s embarrassing.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop. Regardless… thank you for saving me. I mean it…”

_I could’ve sworn Orbeetle rescued us on its own, but perhaps I was imagining it. Gloria wouldn’t wrap her arms around me like that if it weren’t true, anyway._

_Definitely not._

* * *

The two ended up riding Bede’s taxi back to Hammerlocke. When they’d landed, the first person who greeted them was Marnie—whom Bede had called beforehand, figuring she’d want to know where Gloria had gone.

“ _There_ you are!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to give Gloria a hug, “We were so worried about you—where on earth did you go!?”

“I was taking a siesta, I suppose,” Gloria laughed, not wanting to recount her experience with Hop.

“Your eyes are all red and puffy…” Marnie sighed, tracing Gloria’s cheeks with her thumbs, “Who hurt you?” then she looked over Gloria’s shoulder and glared at Bede, “Was it _you?_ ”

“Wha—” he almost retorted back, but Gloria interrupted him.

“No, no, no—it’s not Bede’s fault Marnie!” she excused quickly, “In fact, he did the opposite. He came to me right when I needed him,” then she flashed him a sweet grin, “Another thing to be thankful for, I guess.”

His cheeks reddened at the adorable response, making Marnie roll her eyes.

“You and your thanking-spree…” she sighed, “Here we were, worried sick, and ‘y were just takin’ a break. (Dunno why your eyes are red, but I suppose I can interrogate _him_ later about it…)”

Bede cringed.

“Speakin’ of which,” Marnie stepped away from Gloria, finally looking at Bede, “You smell awful. Did you puke or something?”

His cringe worsened, “That’s none of your business,” he snapped, trying to replace his embarrassment with anger, “Point is, I found Gloria, and we’re all going to get something to eat.”

Gloria blinked surprisedly at him, “Really? You’re never the one who sets up our hang-outs. I always thought you didn’t like them…”

“Well this is a special case…” he sighed, “And besides… I’m starving… that granola bar was all I had on me, and well… you know what happened to that…”

Marnie leered sourly at him, “So you _did_ puke?”

“Shut-up, you.” he rubbed his eyes impatiently, “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step into that boutique since my shirt’s a mess… when I get back, let me know what you two want to eat. It’s on me.”

“Really? That’s so kind Bede! Thanks!” Gloria grinned.

Marnie’s grin, however, was far more sinister, “You shouldn’t ‘ave told us you were payin’. If it’s you, I’m pickin’ the priciest place on the block for your pleasure!”

He glared at her, tired of her antics, and disappeared into the boutique before she could annoy him further. When he was gone, Marnie took Gloria off to the side and started to ask about what’d transpired.

“So… what happened with you two? Bede comes back with sick on his shirt, and you’ve got puffy eyes from cryin’… did you two sign up for a soap opera?”

“No, no…” Gloria laughed, “It’s honestly hard to explain what happened, but… well…”

She retold what had happened during her visit with Hop.

“Oh my—that’s horrible!” Marnie’s eyebrows curved distraughtly, “Why on earth would he say that to you?”

Gloria just shook her head, “I don’t know, Marnie. He just won’t tell me things anymore… all I know, is I’m glad Bede showed up when he did. I really needed someone to lean on.”

“Oh?” she blinked, surprised Bede wasn’t the antagonist, “So Bede _helped_ you feel better?”

“Yeah—you could say that,” she laughed, “But not without an unfortunate accident first… see, I was up in the trees, and…”

When she told Marnie about Bede’s fear of heights, she started snickering.

“Oh~ so he’s a wuss about heights, eh? Sounds like a great opportunity to take him on a Ferris wheel. He’d cling to you like a baby!”

“M-Marnie! Don’t say stuff like that—what if he comes back!?”

By now, Marnie knew all about Gloria’s crush on Bede. She wasn’t willing to admit it herself, but Marnie teased her regardless. It was only a matter of time until Gloria discovered what her feelings were.

“Oh don’t fuss, I’ll stop teasin’ ya,” she grinned, “Anyway, let’s find us a place to eat. That _is_ what he told us to do, after all.”

They looked around for a few minutes, finally settling on an old favorite of theirs. It was a laid-back fast food restaurant called Magby’z, known for its spicy dishes, and refreshing scones.

When Bede returned, he’d purchased an inexpensive, light-blue t-shirt, and was holding his uniform in his hands—which was drenched with water.

“Back already?” Marnie chimed, noticing his apparel change, “Why’s your shirt all wet?”

He glared at her, “Why do _you_ think?”

She paused, “Oh you were rinsing it out, weren’t you?” then she grinned sneakily at him, “By the way, next time you want to go skydiving, call me. I’ll bring my camera.”

_Dang it Gloria. Just couldn’t keep it a secret, could you?_

As if knowing what he was thinking, Gloria laughed nervously, and then the group approached the front counter to finally place their orders. After that, they spent the rest of the evening laughing along with one another, happily enjoying one another’s company.

When they were full, Marnie split ways with them so Bede could walk Gloria to the station.

“I’ll see you two later!” Marnie waved, “Tonight was fun, let’s do it again sometime!”

“Absolutely,” Gloria grinned, waving goodbye to her as she disappeared through the tunnel to Spikemuth.

Then it was just the two of them, walking timidly towards Hammerlocke station.

“Feel better?” Bede asked, sneaking a glance at her.

She smiled sweetly, “Yes. Loads better. I still feel bad about ditching the meeting, but at least I ran into you. I think that’s what made all the difference today.”

Bede suppressed a smile, secretly overjoyed she was grateful for his kindness. As he thought about it, he also remembered her sweet words of thanks from earlier in the morning.

“Say,” he said, turning towards her, “about all that Thanksgiving stuff, when are you doing it?”

“When am I doing—oh, you mean the feast, right? It’s every fourth Thursday of November.”

“Thursday… I see…” he mulled about the idea of a feast for a moment, “what if you and I—just, you and I,” he clarified, “did something on Thursday? You mentioned that feast—do you think we could—well… enjoy something like that?”

She stopped halfway down the sidewalk, surprised by his sudden interest in spending time with her, “You want to have dinner with me?”

He jumped, a little shocked by her bluntness, “I-it’s not a date!” he excused immediately, “I just—after seeing what happened between you and Hop, I…”

“Sure.”

His eyes shot up to her face. Suddenly, in the glow of the streets, she seemed more beautiful than ever as she flashed him the same, pensive smile from earlier that morning. It was a smile that he just couldn’t understand the meaning of, yet felt somehow that it was incredibly special—reserved for him, and him alone.

He wished he could kiss that smile with all his heart, but knew it was far too soon for that.

“O-okay,” was all he managed in response, “where do you want to…?”

“My mom always makes an amazing Thanksgiving meal for the two of us,” she went on, “I suppose I could invite you this year.”

His heart jumped nervously at the thought of dining with Gloria’s mother. Surely, if he wasn’t clear, she’d assume the two of them were dating.

For some reason, that thought made him smile.

“That sounds lovely,” Bede finally responded, returning Gloria’s smile with his own, “I’ll be sure to reserve the day for that occasion.”

He could’ve sworn he’d saw her face go red when he’d said that, but she turned away too fast for him to really notice.

“Thanks,” she whispered, “I appreciate it.”

Then, with one foot inside the station, she waved goodbye to Bede, and disappeared from his sight.

* * *

That Thursday evening, Bede threw on the nicest set of casual clothes he could find, not a single thread on his jeans out of place. Presentation was very important to him—especially when he knew he’d be meeting Gloria’s parent. Then, slipping on his tennis shoes, Bede stepped out of the fairy gym’s locker room, and started to head towards the exit.

On the way out, however, he heard a voice call out to him that made his stomach drop.

“Bede!”

It was Opal.

He turned, faking a pleasant smile for her as she approached him, “M-miss Opal! Your timing is impeccable… what is it that you need from me?”

“Well,” she began, noticing he’d already changed out of his uniform and combed his hair, “I was going to remind you that tonight is our rehearsal for our fall performance. You haven’t forgotten your part, have you?”

His face fell.

 _Oh right… I forgot about that. Opal signed me up for a musical theater assignment_ months _ago, and sprung it on me that I was the second most important character… curse it all, dang it—_

“I—well—you see…” he tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing was coming to mind.

“Don’t tell me you’re not coming to the rehearsal, Bede. We talked about this weeks beforehand.”

“Yes, but—”

The look in her eyes was deadly. He knew coming up with an excuse would only weaken his chances of escape.

Disappointment flooded his face, draining away the liveliness he had before. Gloria would be waiting for him to start eating, but he’d never come. He promised her, yet here he was, powerless to join her because of a decision that had been made _for_ him, weeks prior.

“I… I’ll get ready.”

He bowed his head and passed Opal coldly on her left side, dragging his feet all the way to the locker room. On a hanger in his locker, Bede pulled out the princely outfit he’d been forced into time and time before, but couldn’t find the willpower to change.

 _This is just one rehearsal,_ he realized, _There will be many others to attend. But this… today… this is a once in a lifetime experience,_ he looked at his reflection silently in his locker mirror, _Am I really going to pass this up?_

He placed the hanger back inside and threw the locker door shut. Then, snatching a pen out of his backpack, Bede tore his nametag off of his locker door, and quickly scribbled an apology to Opal.

Then, before anyone could check in on him, Bede threw on his jacket and sprinted out through an unoccupied side exit.

On his locker, taped so clumsily it had fallen onto the floor already, Bede scribbled a short note:

_I’m so sorry Opal, I know you won’t forgive me for this, but for once there’s something I want to do for myself. Someone I want to be with right now. This may be the only chance I get, but screw it—I’m in love with her._

_-Bede_

_P.S. Please don’t kill me when I get back_

* * *

He couldn’t sit still for the entire ride to Wedgehurst. Aside from the anticipation killing him, the idea of abandoning his terrifying dictator of a boss, Opal, was horrifying. He hoped that she would at least have a _shred_ of sympathy for him, since he was finally going out and seeking relationships instead of playing video games by himself at home, but he knew his caretaker far better than that. Yes, she could be understanding and kind, but most days she was an authoritative figure—not a benevolent grandmother Gloria seemed to misinterpret her as.

When he’d finally landed in Wedgehurst, all he had to do was look for her. He was fifteen minutes later than they’d agreed on, but he hoped she hadn’t given up and gone home. The sun was going down, and the temperature was dropping with every passing minute.

_Please be around here somewhere…_

His eyes scanned the town of Wedgehurst, finding the Pokémon center, a small boutique, and a vacant berry stand. As he kept looking, he spotted a few houses scattered about, and then his eyes landed on the research lab.

The memory came back as if it were brand-new.

Gloria kneeling next to him with tears rolling down her cheeks as she defended the brute response of the boy she called a “friend”. And lo and behold, at that very moment, Bede caught him exiting the lab right at the end of his work day.

Hop.

He almost boiled-over with rage, but held back only because of Gloria’s delicate words, reminding him so sweetly to be kind. But as Hop slipped his key out of the knob, their eyes finally met.

An electric charge passed between them, and suddenly the air felt as if it could suffocate them both.

“Oh,” Hop responded, removing a pair of glasses from his face so they could dangle around his neck, “It’s you.”

Bede swallowed his anger.

“Been a while, hasn’t it?” Bede muttered, his eyes unmoving from Hop’s face.

“I’d say…” Hop shrugged, “But I mean, I’m not too upset about that.”

Bede balled his fists reflexively at the quip.

“Why’re you here, anyway? You’ve got to have a reason—Wedgehurst is _hours_ away from Ballonlea, innit?”

“Stop making conversation with me, Hop.”

The silence that followed his remark was deafening.

“I know what you said to Gloria the other day. She cried all about it to me—how you’d hurt her.”

“Oh did she?” Hop sighed, a painful look suddenly entering his face, “About that… I admit I crossed the line. It’s just… I’d just broken a _really_ expensive piece of equipment when she showed up, and I sorta…” he shook his head bitterly, “That’s just an excuse though… if I really felt bad I’d apologize to her, but I just can’t bring myself to do it… it just hurts talking to her these days. I feel like a failure compared to her…”

Bede clenched his jaw, understanding now why Hop had mouthed off at her, but still couldn’t find it in himself to forgive him.

“I get it,” he managed, though sounded quite apathetic despite his words, “But that’s your problem, not mine. In fact, I’m here because Gloria invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner,” he leveled eyes with Hop, causing him to flinch, “Judging by your response, the seat I’m filling tonight was normally reserved for you, wasn’t it?”

Hop turned his gaze sharply to the side, clearly angry from Bede’s unnecessary taunt.

Bede strode past him in a single stride and placed a firm hand on Hop’s shoulder.

“I don’t know everything about you, Hop, but I know this much. If you don’t do something now, you’ll lose her forever. Trust me. I’ve had my fair share of lost friendships, and how many do you want to bet were ruined by my own pride?”

Then, without a farewell, Bede stepped past Hop, leaving him behind on the cold dirt pathway of Wedgehurst.

He hadn’t really realized where he was walking.

He wanted to leave a strong impression on Hop—and he did, but that didn’t change the fact that Bede had no idea where Gloria lived, and was now wandering through Postwick without the slightest clue of where he was. If he turned back and went to Wedgehurst, he’d look like an idiot to Hop—and that was more of a disgrace than anything else he could imagine for the time being.

So he just kept walking.

And then he spotted a lone cottage, surrounded by adorable, sleeping Bedew.

 _This feels right,_ he blinked, glancing curiously at one of the windows. There was light coming from the kitchen, allowing him to see two figures—one setting the table, the other placing the food down onto platters.

As soon as he saw her dark hair, he realized he had found her house completely on his own, and sighed in relief that he didn’t have to walk back to Wedgehurst. He stopped for a moment, watching as Gloria laid three plates onto the table, and the sight made his heart jump.

This must’ve been the first night in a long time, where she would set the table for three.

He turned his head away from the window, and with a quick breath of courage, Bede rapped his knuckles on the door. There was a momentary pause, where he heard the sound of dishes being set down, and quiet feet shuffling, and then the door was thrust open.

He met her eyes instantly.

There was a look of worry and disbelief in them at first—as if she had given up hope. But as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway, the concern melted away and was replaced with a twinkling joy that Bede had never seen before. Her smile appeared, and with a sweetly excited voice, she whispered:

“Bede—you came!”

He shrugged, “Of course I did. I mean, I promised I would… do you have _that_ little faith in me?”

She shook her head and noticed a sadness in her eyes as she stared at the floor.

“It’s not that… I just assumed you couldn’t make it. I was waiting at Wedgehurst for at _least_ twenty minutes, but you never showed up…”

He swallowed hard, remembering once again how he had left Opal at the gym.

“Tch… well I made it, didn’t I?” he excused, not bringing up his abandonment of the gym, nor the letter he’d written—in which he’d finally admitted he was in love with Gloria.

_I better find that note and burn it when I get back…_

“Anyway—come in! It’s cold out there,” Gloria laughed, swinging the door aside so Bede could finally enter.

When he stepped in, he was greeted with a lovely scent. Freshly-cooked turkey and homemade bread wafted into his nose and nearly made him drool. When he spotted the table, he saw an even larger array of food waiting for him, as well as Gloria’s mother who was smiling while putting away a pair of hot pads.

“Hello!” she greeted warmly, instantly shaking Bede’s hand when she came over, “You must be Bede!”

“Y-yes! Um, nice to meet you Miss Verity,” he replied, somewhat bewildered at how quickly she accepted him into her home.

“Ah, no need to be shy. Gloria has told me all about you!” she grinned sneakily at her daughter, causing Gloria’s face to redden with embarrassment.

“Mom! I d-don’t bring him up _that_ much. Stop teasing me!”

 _I can see where the teasing comes from now,_ Bede realized, observing Miss Verity’s mischief expression was identical to that of Gloria’s.

“Oh that’s not true—it seems like every time you come home, he’s the first person you bring up. I can tell he means a lot to you, anyway.”

Gloria scoffed and turned her head away childishly, unwilling to admit her mother’s remarks, “I’m going to finish setting the table. I just realized I forgot the knives.”

When Gloria had left the room, Miss Verity once again turned her attention to Bede.

“In all realness though,” she began, smiling pensively at Bede, “I really have to thank you for coming. Gloria was concerned you wouldn’t make it—more than she’s willing to admit. I reckon she was near tears.”

Bede bit his lip, thankful he had made it, but frustrated he’d shown up late enough to worry her.

“You’re really important to her, I can tell,” she went on, “After all this drama with Hop, I suppose you became the first person she chose to lean on.”

He looked up, “You know about that?”

“I do,” she sighed, nodding, “Gloria isn’t great at keeping secrets from me. She likes to carry her burdens all by herself, but as soon as you get her talking, it _all_ comes out,” she paused, shaking her head once, “I suppose friendships are complicated. I’m not really sure what’s wrong with Hop… I keep talking with his mom about things, but she doesn’t understand either. I suppose he’s just going through some sort of phase. Sometimes friendships can get angsty and complicated—I suppose it’s just his turn.”

“Perhaps…” but Bede couldn’t help but worry there was more to it than just angst.

“Anyway, come sit with us!” she smiled, lightening up the mood, “Gloria made sure you had the best seat in the house.”

“Mom!” Gloria yelled again, and her mother laughed heartily.

When Bede entered the dining room, he took a seat on the direct left side of Gloria. Her mother sat down on the other side of the table so she could face the two of them head-on. When they were all seated, Miss Verity glanced curiously at Gloria.

“Should we start?”

Gloria nodded, “I suppose I’ll start.”

 _Start what?_ Bede wondered, watching as Gloria and her mother interlaced their fingers in quiet thought.

Worried about being left out, he did the same, and listened as Gloria began to speak.

“There are lots of things I’m grateful for this year,” Gloria began, her eyes pensive as she considered her words, “But mostly, I’m thankful for my small family, for my friends, for the roof over our heads…”

She went on, peacefully thanking some invisible figure for her numerous joys. It was calming—even if the whole ritual felt alien to Bede. He’d never felt a need to be grateful—especially when there was no specific person to thank, yet for some reason, today felt special.

When Gloria and her mother had finished, Bede decided to list off a few things of his own. Though he kept his list short, it felt nice to finally acknowledge everything that had helped him along—the people in his life that had changed him, and the blessed coincidences that had befallen him in order to become the person he was.

As his last gratitude left his mouth, the three glanced at each other quietly.

“Any last thoughts?” her mother asked, secretly eyeing the food.

“Nope!” Gloria grinned, “Let’s dig in!”

Gloria’s mom instantly cut open pieces of the turkey and divided sections onto everyone’s plates. Following that, she divided amongst the three of themselves the cranberries, bread, stuffing, Jell-O, mashed potatoes, and the countless fruits that Gloria’s own mother had grown in their backyard.

It was the most delicious meal Bede had ever had.

The food, though tasting identical to any ordinary turkey or bread, had a uniquely different flavour somehow ingrained into it. Surely, it was the loving passion of Gloria’s mom that had made all the difference in how the food tasted.

There was just no beating a home-cooked meal—he knew that from the countless dinners he’d spent with Opal.

When his plate had been inhaled, Bede was left slumped in his chair with a full stomach of food. Despite his bloated stomach, Gloria and her mom were somehow still able to keep chatting and eating away—as if they’d somehow expected the effects the dinner would have.

“Bede,” Gloria laughed, “You ate too much, didn’t you?”

He grunted sleepily, “I suppose I might’ve… I think I gained three kilos from this meal alone…”

She smiled mischievously at him, “Thanksgiving’ll do that to ya. That’s why you have to be careful—you’ll run out of room for dessert if you eat too much at the start.”

“So _that’s_ the secret… bit late for that now.”

When they’d all eaten their fill, Gloria’s mom set aside their dishes and brought out the desserts. Then she entered the pantry and pulled out a fancy bottle with a big grin on her face.

“Here it is!” she grinned, holding up a large bottle of wine, “I’ve been holding onto it just for today! And now that you’re eighteen, Gloria, you can finally have a taste!”

“Yes!” she held out her glass eagerly, “Please and thank you!”

As she poured the drink for Gloria, she glanced at Bede and for some reason, gave him a quick wink.

_What’s that mean?_

Suspicious, he allowed her to pour him a glass of the wine, and afterwards, he carefully tasted the liquid.

 _Oh. That’s why she winked at me,_ he raised an eyebrow and glanced at Gloria, who was blissfully laughing as she proudly cherished her drink. Upon closer examination, the bottle’s label was crooked—as if it had been re-applied by hand, _That’s clearly some sort of cider. I don’t remember the last time I had sparkling wine…_

But regardless, he shook his head and laughed along with the rest of them—for the first time, feeling as if he were a part of a family.

* * *

The feast ended an hour later. Though it was glorious, Bede knew it was starting to get late, and if he didn’t leave soon, the train station would close for the night. Wedgehurst was not a busy station after all—it only made sense for them to close once it got late enough.

The air was frigid as Bede stepped outside. Though Gloria didn’t have to, she decided to accompany Bede to the station, just to make sure he knew where to go. As they stepped out onto the dark, dirt path, Gloria wrapped a pink scarf tightly around her neck and buried her chin in its warmth with a content sigh.

_Goodness she can be so adorable sometimes…_

As they began their walk, Gloria hummed a sweet little tune with her arms swinging mildly at her sides.

“Nice little tune,” Bede commented.

She smiled briefly at him, “It’s the only Thanksgiving song I know. There’s not many, I’ll be honest. Thanksgiving is fun, but as soon as it’s over the whole country gets geared up for Christmas.”

“Ah, yes. That’s a fun holiday—it takes up the whole month, just about.”

They kept walking for a minute, the only sound being Gloria’s tune floating through the night air.

Then, sure enough, the station finally came into view. As soon as they entered, they both took a moment to warm their chilly hands in front of a heat lamp on a nearby table. As they did so, Bede finally spoke again.

“Well, this was really fun,” he commented thoughtfully, “I’ve never had a Thanksgiving, but I’m willing to do it again now that I know what it is.”

She grinned, “You should! It’s such a relaxing holiday, isn’t it?”

Bede nodded, “It’s certainly free of preparation and stress, that’s for sure…”

They stared quietly at the lamp for a moment.

Then, glancing at the clock nearby, Bede stood up.

“I’ve got about ten minutes until departure. Is it alright if I have a word before then?”

Gloria blinked up at him and nodded once, “Sure! What do you want to say?”

He thought for a moment, recalling the speech Gloria had given him that previous Monday morning.

“You see… I kind of want to do that thankyou thing you gave me last Monday…” he began, rubbing his neck awkwardly, “Though it was quite embarrassing—a part of me really… enjoyed it.”

His face reddened as Gloria grinned at him.

“I see,” she smiled, tightening her lips with quiet excitement, “Alright then, let’s hear it.”

Bede let out a long sigh and paused for a moment, unsure how to awkwardly transition into a speech. He cleared his throat, glanced around the room, and began shakily:

“Well… I…” he coughed, “I suppose—thanks. Th-thanks for, well… I’ll start with what you told to me. For being my friend, and putting up with me, even though I could be a real jerk sometimes. I’m glad you stuck with it and got me to change. I didn’t understand it back then, but I _really_ needed that.

“And… thanks for being patient with me, too. Without that patience, I don’t think I’d be here today. I reckon I’d still be the same, miserable loner I was back then, honestly…”

“Bede,” Gloria interrupted suddenly.

He glanced at her.

“I don’t mind, but… everything you’ve said until now has antagonized yourself in some way…” she fidgeted with her hands, “But I don’t see you in that light. You were never… a burden to me.”

Hearing those words suddenly made his heart shudder. It had never occurred to him that she cared—not in _this_ new way she was declaring. Somehow, he reckoned it made him love her even more.

“So is there anything you can say about me, that… doesn’t hurt yourself?”

Bede blinked for a moment, still stunned she cared enough about him to stop him mid-sentence, and carried on with a faint smile.

“Well… I suppose I could thank you for being—” he stopped himself, “For being p—” he coughed, “Uh… p… eh… mm.”

_Pretty._

“Huh?” she blinked.

“P—hmph… yeah, I’m not getting this one out. Forget it.”

“Eeeh!? Nooo! You can’t just cut yourself off there! It’ll kill me if I don’t know…”

“Well that’s a bit extreme,” he commented, his face flushed at his failed attempt to flirt.

_Trust me… you’ll live just fine not knowing a bit longer._

“Fine…” she sighed, shaking her head, “anything else to add, then?”

“Well…” he paused again, realizing there was one last thing, “I suppose… I appreciate your optimism.”

The compliment made her flinch, and he knew exactly why.

“I’m honestly so glad… even when something goes horribly wrong, and the world feels like it’s a hair away from ending, you manage to smile. You can get me to go from angry to laughing in seconds—that’s a real talent,” he glanced at her, noticing guilt behind her eyes, “And Gloria, even when you’re hurting, I’m glad you can smile.”

She stiffened.

“I can tell when something bothers you—you try to smile it off like it’s nothing, and thus you wear those hardships like a pair of wings.”

“E-even when it’s fake?” she asked, her voice trembling.

He stared into her wavering irises, realizing at once that he’d hit a soft spot. Regardless, he continued.

“I don’t care if it’s fake. Even the fake smiles give me the hope I need to stand up. Coming from someone who just barely learned how to smile at _all_ , I don’t think you know how important it is to me that you can trudge through anything and still manage a laugh.”

Her eyes suddenly constricted, and tears flooded the edges. There was still a desperate smile stretched across her cheeks, but by now it was slowly edging off of her face.

“I-I wasn’t expecting—” she stuttered, “That sort of a compliment can break someone, you know—” she sniffed, wiping one of her tears away.

Bede, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward and gave her a quick, tight hug. When he pulled back away, he left his hands on her shoulders so she was forced to look him in the eye.

“I get if you’re mad I said that,” he mused, “but I meant it. Gloria, you are precious to me. More than… I think you know.”

And finally the smile disappeared, leaving her with her teeth tightly grit together in pain as she cast her eyes down, “Fun fact for you,” she mumbled, sniffing once, “it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown,” then she met his eyes again, “I guess at some point… smiling just became easier for me to do.”

Bede sighed, finally taking his hands off her shoulders, “At least it was good for something, eh?”

Then she laughed—the sort of wet, sniffly kind of laugh that’s heartbreaking to listen to.

“Yeah… I suppose it _was_ good for something in the end.”

This time, though it was sad, Gloria was able to give him a genuine smile. She tapped his chest once with her fist, ignoring the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she grinned at him.

“Thanks, silly. I appreciated your words.”

He sighed, relieved she thought so, even after he’d brought up something sensitive.

“Sure. Those were things I think I really needed to get out of my system. It’s been long enough without me telling.”

She nodded in agreement.

“Anyway,” he sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall again, “I should get going. It’s almost time for me to go now.” he nodded once, “Thanks for everything today. I mean that.”

Gloria agreed, flashing him another bittersweet smile as he started to leave, “I’m glad.”

Just before he turned away, however, Gloria pulled off her pink scarf and suddenly tossed it around his shoulders. Surprised, he glanced at her again, but she was far enough away from him that returning the scarf would just seem awkward.

“Keep it!” she yelled, waving to him from the entrance of the station, “Pink suits you, after all. Think of it as a little Thanksgiving present from me to you!”

“Oh? Is gift giving a part of Thanksgiving too?” he asked, genuinely curious.

She grinned at him one last time, “I suppose it is now,” she whispered, almost inaudibly, and disappeared out into the night once again.

With his heart full of gratitude and romance, Bede bundled the scarf around his neck, and finally stepped onto the train home.

 _One of these days…_ he decided, _one of these days I’ll tell her. Even if it takes me a lifetime._

-END OF THANKSGIVING SPECIAL-

**Author's Note:**

> There are pictures to go with this story, I will add them in when I figure it out :P


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